Refrigerator



A ril 30, 1935. A. LAMBERT 1,999,839

REFRIGERATOR Filed May 17, 1933 s Sheets-Sheet 1 s WE 4:1

fir 4% I z i A. L. LAMBERT A ril 30, 1935.

REFRIGERATOR F-iled May 17, 1955 s Sheets-Sheet 2 mire-M01? Z. ZamerZ IApril 1935. A. LAMBERT I 1,999,839

REFRIGERATOR Filed May 17, 1935 I 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 M/L Q Z 52/ I vAlfierf Z; Zamberf;

Patented pr. 30, 1935 REFREGERATOR Albert L. Lambert, Narberth Borough,Pa., as-

signor to Heintz Manufacturing Company, a corporation of PennsylvaniaApplication May 17, 1933;Serial No. 671,426

16 claims. (oi. 62-46) This invention relates to an improvement inrefrigerator constructions, and the improvement is particularly adaptedto ice refrigerators where'- in an enclosing cabinet is formed with twocompartments, an upper compartment for the reception of the ice, and acompartment therebelow for the reception of foodstuffs and otherproducts to be preserved.

In refrigerators of this general type, it has ordinarily been regardedas essential that either the ice or the ice compartment be in suchcommunication with the food compartment as to permit circulation of airfrom the food compartment into contact with the ice, thence back intothe food compartment. This circulation of air in direct contact with theice results in a very rapid melting of the ice, and also results in anirregular melting of the block or blocks of ice in the ice compartment.Furthermore, it has been diflicult, with the means heretofore providedin many of such structures, to produce sufficient circulation of air incontact with the ice to properly cool the air so as to secure efficientrefrigeration in the food compartment.

It is one of the primary objects of this invention to provide arefrigerator structure in which a current of air may be induced tocirculate within the food compartment so as to refrigerate the contentsthereof without coming into direct contact with the ice, and withoutcirculating through the ice compartment. It is also an object of theinvention to provide a refrigerator structure in which a high degree ofrefrigeration is secured in the refrigerating compartment withoutcirculating the air therein in contact with the ice or through the icecompartment. It is a further object of the invention to provide arefrigerator structure in which the melting of the block of ice utilizedas the refrigerant is effected almost entirely upon its lower surface,thus eliminating the accumulation in the refrigerant chamber of aplurality of pieces of ice of irregular size and shape, and making itless difiicult to replenish the supply of ice therein. It is a stillfurther object of the invention to provide improved means for inducingcirculation of air in the food compartment of a refrigerator so as toobtain more efficient refrigeration,

Still other objects of the invention will be ap- 50 parent as thedescription thereof proceeds. In

order that the improvement may be clearly understood, reference may bemade to the accompanying drawings wherein: e

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a refrigera- 55 tor with theimprovements embodied therein;

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view, partly cut away to show detailsof construction, taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1;

' Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view, partly cut away, taken on theline 3--3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on the Fig. 7 is a detailedsectional view of the drip I pan outlet. a

While the improvement described herein may be adapted to other types ofrefrigerators, it is shown herein embodied in a. cabinet of the fronticer type. This cabinet comprises an outer casing it and an inner casingll separated therefrom to provide a space for insulating material i2 ofany kind desired. .Preferably the inner casing H is formed from an uppercasing section is and a lower casing section It, the meeting edges ofthese sections being inwardly turned to provide engaging flanges I5 and56 which extend entirely around the interior of the refrigerator and areseparated from each other by means of insulation I1 and are securedtogether by rivets i8 as shown.

The meeting edges of the upper casing section and the lower casingsection constitutes a line of division between the compartment l9 forice and the food compartment 2| of the refrigerator. The front wall ofthe cabinet is provided with an opening 22 providing access to the icecompartment l9, and this opening is closed by means of a door 23 asshown in Fig. 4. 'The front wall of the cabinet is also provided with anopening 24 giving access to the food compartment 2!, and this opening isclosed by means of a door 25 as shown in Fig. 4.

Extending across the cabinet and dividing the interior thereof into theice compartment 99 and, the food compartment 2! is an ice tray 25. Thistray is preferably formed from a single sheet of non-corrosive sheetmetal, and is of such a size as to reach entirely across the cabinetbetween opposing end walls, as shown in Fig. 1, and en tirely across thecabinet between the front and rear walls, as shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6.Preferably the ice tray is so formed that the two opposite end portionsthereof 2? and 28 slope downwardly toward the central portion 29 toassist in providing a head for inducing circulation as hereinafterdescribed, and to center the ice in the ice compartment. These slopingend portions are provided with depressed channels 30 having perforationstherein through which water from the melting ice may drip. The outeredge of the tray 26 is provided with a downwardly turned flange 32 whichrests upon the inwardly turned flange I 5 on the bottom edge of theupper casing section i3 and thereby retains the tray in position in thecabinet.

In order to provide for proper circulation of air within the foodcompartment, an air iiue 33,

or a plurality of such flues if desired, is secured to the under side ofeach of the inwardly and downwardly sloping end portions 21, 28 of theice tray. These flues should be made of heat conducting material andshould have a heat conduct ing connection with the ice tray in orderthat the air may be properly cooled as it passes therethrough. As shownherein, two such flues 33 are utilized on each end portion of the tray,and these flues are arranged in pairs with respect to the flues on theopposite end portion of the tray. It will be understood, however, thatthe precise number of these flues, and the arrangement thereof may bevaried within a wide latitude without departing from the invention towhich the improvement pertains.

As illustrated herein, the flues on each end portion of the ice tray areformed from a blank oi. thermally conductive sheet metal having the endsthereof bent upwardly as shown at 34, thence outwardly into flanges 35which are secured to the under side of the tray 26 by means of rivets36. The central portion of this sheet is formed into an inverted channelsubstantially U-shaped in cross section, having the bottom 31 thereofriveted as at 38 to the under side of the ice tray as shown clearly inFigs. 5 and 6. The width of the sheets from which the flues are made issueh that the outer ends 39 of the flues terminate a ta substantialdistance from the ends of the ice tray to thereby provide airpassageways 40, and the inner ends 4| are located at a substantialdistance from the center of the tray. As will be clearly understood fromthe showing in Figs. 1 and 3 of the drawings, the inner ends of theoppositely arranged flues on the inwardly and downwardly sloping endportions of the tray are spaced a substantial distance from each otherin order to provide an open passageway 42 for the two combined currentsof air as they emerge from the inner ends of opposing flues. v A drippan 43 is supported in the upper portion of the food compartment beneaththe ice tray 26 and in spaced relation to the air flues 33.

-This drip pan is preferably a double structure and comprises a lowerpan 44 having an outwardly turned flange 45 extending around its upperedge, and an upper pan 46 slightly shallower than the lower pan, andhaving an outwardly turned flange 41 extending around its upper edge andresting upon the flange 45 of the lower pan. Such a construction, as iswell understood, provides a space 48 for a layer of insulating airbetween the pans and thus prevents the condensation of moisture on theoutside of the lower pan above the food compartment.

The drip pan 43 is held in position in the cabinet by means of metalangle strips 49 secured to the front and rear walls respectivelyofthefood compartment. In order that the drip pan may be inclined towardthe rear of the cabinet to provide for proper drainage therefrom. theangle strip 49 on the front wall of the cabinet is preferably locatedsomewhat higher than the angle strip 49 which supports the. rear edge ofthe drip pan. As shown in Figs. 4 to 7 of the drawings, the width of thedrip pan from front to rear is such as to reach entirely from the frontwall to the rear wall of the cabinet. The length of this pan, however,is such that the ends thereof terminate at a substantial distance fromthe end walls of the cabinet, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. This relationof the ends of the drip pan to the end walls of the cabinet thereforeprovides passageways 59 for the upward circulation of air along the endwalls of the food compartment.

An opening 51 is provided transversely of the drip pa; at the centralportion thereof, through both the upper and lower pans, and the edges ofthese pans, surrounding the opening, are bent upwardly and inwardly asindicated at 52 and 53 to prevent the outflow of water through theopening. The purpose of this opening is to provide a passageway for thedownward current of air formed by the two inwardly directed currentsthrough the oppositely arranged flues.

In order that the upward currents of air along the end walls of the foodcompartment may be properly directed into the outer ends 39 of theflues, it is preferable to provide a partition member or deflector 54between the outer end of the drip pan 43 and the lower edges of theouter ends of the flues. This deflector may be in the form of a strip ofsheet metal having a lower vertically arranged portion '55 resting uponthe bottom of the upper drip pan, and an upwardly and inwardly inclinedportion 56 extending to the lower edges of the outer ends of the flues.The opposite ends of this inclined portion are provided with upstandingtabs 51 for closing the space between the outer walls of the flues andthe walls of the cabinet. As shown herein, these tabs are supportedwithin notches 58 in a downwardly and inwardly inclined drip plate 59extending around the cabinet and formed on the inner edge of theinwardly turned flange IS on the bottom edge of the upper casing sectionl3. These tabs may be provided with cut-away portions 69 to receive thesuperposed flanges I5, IS on the meeting edges of the upper and lowercasing sections.

In order that the currents of air emerging from the inner ends of theflues may be properly directed downwardly through the opening'5l in thenecessity of providing a separate deflector plate to connect the outerwalls of oppositely arranged flues.

A nipple 63 is secured in the upper drip pan 46 adjacent the rear edgeof the bottom thereof, and this nipple extends downwardly into a similarnipple 64 secured in the bottom of the lower drip pan 44 adjacent itsrear edge. The lower nipple 64 projects downwardly into the upper openend of a drain-pipe 65 which extends downwardly to a trap 66 of any wellknown construction in the bottom of the foodcompartment. Water flowsoutwardly from the trap through a pipe connection 61 as shown in Fig. 1.

In order to prevent any moisture which condenses on the under side ofthe central portion 29 of the ice tray from dripping through the centralopening 5| in the drip pan into the food compartment, a deflector plate68 having the outer edges thereof inclined downwardly and extendingoutwardly over the edges of the opening in the drip pan is securedtransversely of the central portion oftheice tray by rivets 69 orotherwise, and this moisture deflector is preferably separated from theice tray by suitable insulating material 10 so as to prevent thecondensation of moisture on the lower face thereof.

Suitable shelves or trays 1| of grill construction are provided in thefood compartment, and these shelves may be supported on metal anglepieces 12 or other equivalent means secured to the endwalls of thecabinet in any known manner.

The operation of the invention will be clear from the above descriptiontaken with the accompanying drawings. As indicated by the arrows 73 onFig. l, the improved structure induces currents of air upwardly alongopposite ends of the food compartment through the passageways 50 betweenthe ends of the drip pan and the cabinet wall. These currents are thendirected into the outer ends of the fiues by means of the deflectors 54,and as the air passes through the fiues it gives up its heat to thethermally conductive walls of the fiues and to the thermally conductiveice tray, this heat being utilized in melting the ice as is wellunderstood. These currents of air, highly cooled in their passagethrough the fiues, emerge from the inner ends of the flues and aredirected downwardly through the opening in the central portion of thedrip pan. After circulating downwardly through the food compartment,these currents are again directed upwardly along the end walls of thefood compartmentand into the outer ends of the fiues as above described.It will thus be seen that these currents of air do not come into directcontact with the ice in the refrigerant chamber. Inasmuch as the airgives up its heat to the thermally conductive flues and this heat isthen transferred in a more or less uniform manner to the lower face ofthe block of ice, the ice melts uniformly upwardly from the bottom ofthe block, and there is relatively no melting of the ice along the sideedges of the block and on the upper face thereof. In consequence, theblock of ice, as it melts away from the bottom, merely drops downwardlyin the ice compartment, and retains substantially its original uppersurface area throughout the period of melting. It is thereforecomparatively easy to renew the ice inasmuch'as the melting of the icein this manner prevents the accumulation of irregular pieces of ice inthe ice compartment, and a new block may be placed on the top of thewafer-like residue of the old block.

It will be noted that the perforations in the ice tray are positioned sothat the drip there through from the melting ice is into the air fiues.Preferably, the lower walls of the flues slope inwardly and downwardlywith the inwardly and downwardly sloping end portions of the ice tray,so that the drip from the melting ice flows downwardly to the inner endsof the fiues, thence drips into the drip pan. The crosssectional area ofeach flue is preferably uniform from end to end thereof. The slope ofthe fiues produces the necessary head to assist in inducing circulation,and the uniform cross-section provides uniform movement of the air andkeeps it in contact with the thermally conductive walls of the flues sothat the air becomes highly cooled in passing therethrough. Inasmuch asthe block of ice rests upon the tray while melting, and the area of thelower surface of the block is not materially reduced as the block melts,the

' from the drip plate into the drip pan.

While a preferred form of refrigerator in which the improvements areembodied is shown herein, it is to be understood that the inventioncontemplates and is intended to include such other forms as come withinthe scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is:

1. In a refrigerator construction, a cabinet, an ice tray of heatconductingmaterial extending thereacross and dividing the same into anupper ice compartment and a lower food compartment, a laterally closedopen-ended flue of heat conducting material inclined downwardly from oneend to the other and secured to the under side of said tray to directthe air current in said food compartment across the lower surface ofsaid tray, means for deflecting the air current into said flue, saidtray having -a plurality of perforations therein opening into said flue,and a drip pan beneath the lower end of said flue.

2. In a refrigerator construction, a cabinet, an inclined ice tray ofheat conducting material extending thereacross and dividing the sameinto an upper ice compartment and a lower food compartment, a laterallyclosed, open-ended flue of heat conducting material secured to the underside of said tray and inclined therewith to confine and direct the aircurrent in said food compartment across the lower surface of said tray,said tray having perforations therein opening into said flue, and a drippan beneath the lower end of said flue.

3. In a refrigerator construction, a cabinet, an inclined ice tray ofheat conducting material extending thereacross and dividing thesame-into an upper ice compartment and a lower food compartment, alaterally closed, open-ended flue of heat conducting material secured tothe under side of said tray and inclined therewith to confine and directthe air current in said food compartment across the lower surface ofsaid tray, said tray having perforations therein opening into said flue,a drip pan beneath the lower end of said flue, a deflector between saidflue and said drip pan for directing said air current into the upper endof said flue, and means for directing the air current downwardly fromthe lower end of said flue.

4.-In a refrigerator construction, a cabinet, an ice tray of heatconducting material extending between the opposite walls thereof andforming an upper ice compartment and a lower food com- ,partment, a pairof laterally closed, open-ended fiues of heat conducting materialsecured to the 'under side of said tray by a heat conducting connection,the outer ends of the fiues being spaced from the walls of the cabinetto provide air inlets, and the inner ends being spaced from each otherto provide an air outlet, and means for directing the current of air insaid food compartment into the outer ends of said fiues.

5. In a refrigerator constructioma cabinet, an ice tray of heatconducting material extending between the opposite walls thereof andforming an upper ice compartment and a lower food compartment, said traysloping downwardly from the opposite ends thereof toward the center, anda laterally closed, open-ended flue of heat conducting material securedto the under side of each sloping portion of said tray and having itsouter end spaced from the wall of said cabinet to form an air inlet fromthe food compartment, the inner ends of said fiues being spaced fromeach other to form an air outlet into the food compartment. I

6. In a refrigerator construction, a cabinet, a perforated ice tray ofheat conducting material extending between the opposite walls thereofand forming an upper ice compartment and a lower food compartment, saidtray sloping downwardly from the opposite ends thereof toward thecenter, an open-ended flue of heat conducting matcrial secured to theunderside of each sloping portion of said tray beneath the perforationstherein and having its outer end spaced from the wall of said cabinet toform an air inlet from the food compartment, the inner ends of saidfiues being spaced from each other to form an air outlet into the foodcompartment, and a drip pan extending across said cabinet beneath thesaid flucs and having the edges thereof adjacent the outer end'; of saidilues spacd from the walls of the cabinet to provide passageways for airinto the outer ends of the fines, the central portion of said drip panhaving an opening therein to provide a passageway for air from the innerends of said flues.

'7. In a refrigerator construction, a cabinet, a perforated ice tray ofhzat conducting material extending between the opposite walls thereofand forming an upper ice compartment and a lower food compartment, saidtray sloping downwardly from the opposite ends thereof toward thecenter, an open-ended flue of heat conducting material secured to theunder sid: of each sloping portion of said tray beneath the perforationstherein and having its outer end spaced from the wall of said cabinet toform an air inlet from the food compartment, the inner ends of saidflues being spaced from each other to form an air outlet into the foodcompartment, a drip pan extending across said cabinet beneath the saidflues and having the edges thereof adjacent the outer ends of said fluesspaced from the walls of the cabinet to provide passageways for air intothe outer ends of the fiues, the central portion of said drip pan havingan opening therein to provide a passageway for air from the inner endsof said fines, and means between said drip pan and said flues to directthe air from said food compartment into the outer ends of said flues.

8. In a refrigerator construction, a cabinet, a drip pan extendingbetween and supported by the front and rear walls thereof and having itsends spaced from the end walls to form air passages, an ice tray of heatconducting material (Xtendlng entirely across said cabinet above saiddrip pan, a pair of flues of heat conducting maiii) terial secured tosaid tray and having the outer ends thereof spaced from the end walls ofsaid cabinet to provide air inlets and the inner ends spaced from eachother to provide an air outlet, said drip pan having an opening.therethrough adjacent the inner ends of said dues to provide apassageway for air, and partition means between said drip pan and theouter ends of said flues to direct the air from said passages into saidflues.

9. In a refrigerator structure, an ice tray of heat conducting materialhaving a plurality of spaced perforations therein and having theopposite end portions thereof sloping downwardly toward the center, andan air flue of heat conducting material secured to the lower side ofeach of said opposite end portions beneath said perforations, the outerends of said flues terminating inwardly of the ends of said tray and theinner ends of said flues being spaced from each other.

10. In a refrigerator structure, an ice tray of heat conducting materialhaving the opposite end portions thereof sloping downwardly toward thecenter and provided with perforated depressions extending in thedirection of the slope, and an open-ended air flue of heat conductingmaterial secured to the under side of each of said end portions beneaththe perforations therein whereby said tray forms the top wallof saidflue, the outer ends of said flues being spaced inwardly from the endsof said tray and the inner ends of said flues being spaced from eachother.

11. In a refrigerator structure, an ice tray of heat conducting materialprovided with elongated perforated depressions, and an air flue of heatconducting material secured to the under side of said traylongitudinally of said depressions with the perforations, thereinopening into said flue, said flue being closed at its sides and bottomand open at its ends to provide a passageway therethrough for air incontact with said tray.

12. In a refrigerator structure, an ice tray of heat conducting materialand having a plurality of spaced drip perforations therein and a flue ofheat conducting material secured to the under side of said tray wherebysaid tray forms the top wall thereof and said drip perforations openinto said flue, said flue being closed at its sides and bottom andhaving open ends to provide a passageway therethrough for air in contactwith said tray.

13. In a refrigerator structure, the combination of an ice tray of heatconducting material having the opposite end portions thereof slop ingdownwardly toward the center and provided with drip perforations, anopen-ended flue of heat conducting material secured to the .under sideof each of said end portions, the outer ends of said flues being spacedinwardly from the outer edges of said tray and the inner ends beingspaced from each other, a drip pan supported beneath said fiues with itsends spaced inwardly from the ends of said tray and provided with anopening extending transversely across the center thereof, and adeflector plate for closing the space between the outer end of each flueand the adiacent end of the drip pan.

14. In a refrigerator structures. casing comprising a lower open-endedcasing section having an inwardly turned flange on the edges of thewalls surrounding the open end thereof and an upper open-ended casingsection having an inwardly turned flange on the edges of the wallssurrounding the open end thereof and supported upon the flange on thelower section, means for securing said flanges together, and an ice trayextending across said casing and having its opposite edges supportedupon said flanges.

15. In a refrigerator structure, a casing comprising a lower open-endedcasing section and an upper open-ended casing section, a drip platesecured to and extending inwardly from the edges of the wallssurrounding the open end of the upper easing section and means forsecuring the edges of the open ends of the'casing sections together.

16. In a refrigerator structure, a casing comprising a lower open-endedcasing section and an upper. open-ended casing section, a flangeextending inwardly from the edges of the walls surrounding the open endof each of the casing sections, a drip plate formed on and extendinginwardly and downwardly from the flange on one of said sections, andmeans for securing said flanges together.

ALBERT L. LAMBERT,

